Wani jami'in Northrop Grumman a ranar Litinin ya danganta lamarin haɓakar farashi mai fashewa na Makami mai linzamin ballistic na rundunar sojojin saman Amurka na gaba zuwa canje-canjen ƙirar sabis, gami da silo na makami mai linzami na nukiliya da igiyoyi masu haɗawa.

Asalin shirin rundunar sojin sama na sabunta kasuwancinta na ICBM ya haɗa da ajiye kusan dukkan igiyoyin tagulla da suke da su don a sake amfani da su don LGM-35A Sentinel mai zuwa. Wannan yana da kusan mil 7,500 na ƙimar tagulla, yana haɗa silos ɗin Minuteman III ICBM na rabin karni 450 wanda ya bazu cikin yankin Great Plains tare da cibiyoyin sarrafawa da sauran wurare.

Sai dai jami’in kamfanin wanda ya zanta da manema labarai kan cewa za a bayyana shi a matsayin jami’in da ya saba da shirin na Sentinel, ya ce rundunar sojin sama ta kammala cewa ya zama dole a inganta igiyoyin tagulla tare da babbar hanyar sadarwa ta fiber-optic. Wannan shawarar da alama ta zo ne bayan sabis ɗin ya ba da aikin injiniya da haɓaka masana'antu kwangila zuwa Northrop Grumman a cikin 2020, da kuma yayin aikin kamfanin a kan matakin tsara shirin na farko.

Rundunar Sojan Sama ta kuma fahimci cewa ainihin zane-zane na wuraren harba Sentinel - katafaren silo mai cike da kankare da makamai masu linzami daga ciki - ba za su yi aiki ba kuma dole ne a canza su, in ji jami'in Northrop. An zana waɗannan ra'ayoyin na asali a lokacin balaga fasahar fasaha da lokacin rage haɗari da farkon aikin injiniya da matakin haɓaka masana'antu.

Kuma tare da ɗaruruwan wuraren ƙaddamar da abubuwan da suka mamaye yankin Great Plains, sau da yawa a cikin filaye 1-acre, da dubban mil na USB wanda ke shimfiɗa a cikin filayen noma da sauran kadarori na keɓaɓɓu waɗanda a yanzu dole ne a tono su, farashin waɗannan canje-canjen cikin sauri ya ƙaru, Jami'in Northrop ya ce.

“Kamar yadda muka yi aiki ta waɗannan canje-canje. Hakan ya haifar da wani tsari da ya sha bamban da wanda su [Rundunar Sojin Sama] suka fara da shi,” in ji jami’in. "Lokacin da kuka ninka hakan da 450, idan kowane silo ya ɗan girma ko kuma yana da ƙarin kayan aiki, hakan yana haifar da tsada mai yawa saboda yawan adadin su da ake sabuntawa."

A cikin wata sanarwa da ta fitar ga News Defence, Rundunar Sojan Sama ta ce ma’aikatar tsaron Amurka ta Pentagon tana ci gaba da yin nazari kan abin da ya haifar da tsadar tsadar kayayyaki, wanda ya haifar da wani tsarin bita da aka fi sani da Muhimmancin keta haddin Nunn-McCurdy.

"A bisa ga ka'ida, (Ofishin Sakataren Tsaro) zai ƙayyade abin da ya haifar da karuwar farashi wanda ya haifar da mummunar lalacewa ta hanyar Nunn-McCurdy, wanda ke gudana a halin yanzu," in ji mai magana da yawun Rundunar Sojan Sama. "Kididdigar farko sun nuna cewa babban kaso na haɓakar farashin shirin Sentinel yana cikin sashin umarni da ƙaddamarwa, wanda shine mafi girman ɓangaren shirin Sentinel."

'Ba a sani ba' akan shirin $96B

Sentinel wani babban shiri ne don maye gurbin tsofaffin sojojin sama na LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBMs, wanda a yanzu ya zama yanki na tushen nukiliya na sojojin Amurka. A cikin 2020, Northrop Grumman ya karɓi kwangilar tsadar dala biliyan 13.3-da-ƙara-ƙafa-ƙudi don aikin injiniyan Sentinel da haɓaka masana'antu.

Ana sa ran shirin zai gudanar da kusan dala biliyan 96, inda jimillar kudin da ake kashewa a kowane bangare ya kai dala miliyan 118 a lokacin da aka tsara kudinsa na baya-bayan nan, jadawalinsa da kuma manufofinsa na baya-bayan nan a shekarar 2020. Amma farashin ya haura akalla kashi 37%, kuma kowane daya. - kudin naúrar yanzu kusan dala miliyan 162 ne.

A wani zaman majalisar da aka yi a wannan watan, dan majalisar wakilai John Garamendi, D-Calif., ya kirga kudin da Sentinel ke kashewa a yanzu sama da dala biliyan 130.

Wannan ya haifar da cin zarafi na Nunn-McCurdy, kuma Pentagon yanzu yana nazarin Sentinel don gano yadda za a dawo da shi kan hanya da kuma inda za a sami kudade don ci gaba. Manyan jami’an rundunar sojin sama sun bayyana a bainar jama’a cewa da Minuteman III ya wuce tsawon rayuwarsa da aka sa ransa a farko, sabis ɗin ba shi da wani zaɓi sai dai ya maye gurbinsa da sabon samfurin abin dogaro - kuma zai sami kuɗin biyansa.

Sentinel, wanda da farko yakamata ya kai ikon fara aiki a cikin 2029, yanzu ana sa ran zai faɗi shekaru biyu a bayan jadawalin. Gwajin gwajin makami mai linzamin na farko da aka yi hasashen za a yi shi a shekarar 2024, a halin yanzu mai yuwuwa ya zo ne a cikin watan Fabrairun 2026, a cewar takardun kasafin kudin rundunar sojin sama.

Rundunar sojin saman ta ce a cikin wani sakon imel da ta aika wa Defence News cewa jirgin na farko na Sentinel ya koma baya ne saboda tsawon lokacin da aka yi amfani da shi wajen yin abubuwan da ke cikin kwamfutar ta jagora. Amma jinkirin gwajin jirgin ba wani abu bane a cikin shirin Nunn-McCurdy ƙetare, in ji sabis ɗin.

A cikin wani zaman sauraron karar da kwamitin kula da makamashin teku na majalisar ya gudanar a watan Maris, Garamendi ya bayyana rashin jin dadinsa ga jami'an Sojin sama kan tsadar kudin Sentinel, da kuma gazawar ma'aikatar wajen bayyana yuwuwar "cin-kai" don ci gaba da shirin. mai rai.

Garamendi ya nuna shakku kan bukatar Amurka ta kashe makudan kudade kan Sentinel, yana mai cewa imanin cewa dole ne al'ummar kasar su ci gaba da yin amfani da makaman nukiliya guda uku ya zama wani lamari na addini, wanda ke da karancin alaka da duniyar da muke ciki. yanzu rayuwa."

Jami’in Northrop Grumman ya fadawa manema labarai jiya litinin cewa ana ci gaba da aikin kamfanin a kan Sentinel, duk da keta haddin Nunn-McCurdy da kuma tsarin bita da ya biyo baya.

"Ba mu da hutu kan aikin EMD [injiniya da haɓaka masana'antu]," in ji jami'in. "Muna ci gaba da samun ci gaba a kan kera makamin mai linzami da kuma sake tsara zanen dukkan wuraren."

A wata tattaunawa da aka yi a kakar da ta gabata. Sakataren sojojin sama Frank Kendall ya ce idan aka yi la'akari da dadewa tun lokacin da sabis ɗin ya ƙirƙira ICBM, ƙimar farkon farashi na Sentinel ya dogara ne akan "babban rashin tabbas."

"Akwai wasu abubuwan da ba a san su ba waɗanda ke sama, waɗanda ke shafar shirin," in ji Kendall yayin wani taron Nuwamba 2023 tare da Cibiyar Sabbin Tsaron Amurka. Kendall ya kuma ce shirin Sentinel yana "fama".

Jami'in Northrop Grumman ya haskaka irin wadannan maganganun - ciki har da na Kendall game da rashin tabbas da ya shiga cikin kididdigar farashin shirin - kuma ya ce wasu alkaluma da suka shiga cikin bita na asali na 2020 sun kasance ba daidai ba.

Mock-up silo

Northrop ya kuma ce kokarin da kamfanin ke yi na fitar da yadda tsarin canjin zai yi aiki ya kuma nuna matsaloli tare da ainihin shirin.

Kafin ya karɓi kwangilar Sentinel a cikin Satumba 2020, kamfanin ya fara gina cikakken sikelin izgili na silo na Minuteman III a Promontory, Utah, wanda ya kammala a cikin bazara 2021. Aikin babban aiki ne, kuma akan dime na Northrop Grumman. . Amma kamfanin ya gan shi a matsayin jarin da ya dace a yunƙurinsa na cin nasarar kwangilar Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, kamar yadda aka san shirin a lokacin.

Northrop ba ta da damar kai tsaye zuwa Minuteman III silos - kuma da alama ba za ta samu ba har sai gwamnati ta mika su don juyar da su zuwa Sentinel silos - tunda makamai masu linzami dole ne su kasance a shirye don harba a kowane lokaci. Don haka kamfanin ya ɗauki aikin gininsa hanya mafi kyau don fahimtar yadda babban aikin sake fasalin zai iya aiki - da kuma gano inda babban haɗari zai iya kasancewa.

Tawagar kamfanin, tare da Rundunar Sojan Sama, sun yi izgili ta hanyar ba'a kuma sun fara tsara abubuwan da suka dace daidai da abin da Sentinel zai buƙaci. Amma yayin da suke yin hakan, in ji jami’in Northrop, kungiyar ta gano wasu tsare-tsaren sauya sheka na asali ba za su yi aiki ba.

Sauran hanyoyin ƙirar ƙira, gami da aikin ƙira na taimakon kwamfuta, suma sun taimaka wa ƙungiyar Sentinel taswira nawa ƙirar murabba'i daban-daban za su ɗauka. A cikin tsari, an share wasu abubuwan da ba a san su ba waɗanda suka haifar da ƙididdiga masu girgiza na asali. Duk da haka, ya bayyana a fili cewa farashin zai fi girma fiye da yadda aka yi imani da farko.

"Sun koyi, tare da mu, abubuwan da ke buƙatar yuwuwar bambanta ko canza su da ƙira," in ji jami'in.

Shirye-shirye biyar a daya

A cikin Janairu, babban jami'in Sojan Sama Kristyn Jones ya kwatanta aikin Sentinel zuwa manyan shirye-shiryen saye guda biyar da aka yi birgima zuwa ɗaya. Amma makamin nukiliya da kansa "ba wani yanki ne na damuwa ba," in ji Jones, wanda ke gudanar da ayyukan karamin sakatare na Sojan Sama.

Jami'in Northrop ya ce makami mai linzamin Sentinel ba wai kawai zai zama sabon salo na jerin Minuteman na ICBMs ba - "ba Minuteman IV bane," in ji jami'in - amma sabon makami ne daga sama zuwa kasa.

Motocin sa na roka za a yi su ne da kayan hadewa maimakon karfen da aka yi amfani da shi akan Minuteman III, in ji shi, kuma zai sami ingantaccen tsarin jagora.

Ƙirar ta kuma ta haɗa da kayan aiki na zamani waɗanda ke ba da damar Sojan Sama da Northrop Grumman don ƙara sabbin fasaha cikin sauƙi yayin da yake samuwa.

Kuma ana sa ran jiragen saman za su iya samun sauƙin kula da Sentinel fiye da wanda ya gabace shi, tare da samun damar yin amfani da mahimman kayan aikin ba tare da buƙatar zurfafa zurfi cikin makami mai linzami da kuma kawo cikakkun bayanai na tsaro yayin buɗe shi ba.

Sentinel zai zama ɗan girma da sauƙi fiye da Minuteman III, wanda zai ba shi damar ɗaukar ƙarin kayan motsa jiki da kaya, in ji shi. Kuma ana tsara shi don dawwama har zuwa aƙalla 2075 - wanda ya fi tsayi fiye da shekaru goma Minuteman III ya kamata ya dawwama.

Za a sake gyara abubuwan more rayuwa na Sentinel - ciki har da silos da kansu, cibiyoyin sarrafawa na ƙaddamarwa inda ma'aikatan jirgin ke sarrafa ICBMs, da tallafawa abubuwan more rayuwa - kuma za a sake gyara su.

Wannan ɓangaren - wanda Jones ya kira "ainihin shirin aikin farar hula" - yana da ƙalubale musamman, musamman game da batutuwa kamar hauhawar farashin kayayyaki, sarkar samar da kayayyaki da ƙarancin ƙarfin aiki.

Sabis ɗin da Northrop Grumman suna shirin sake amfani da silos ɗin Minuteman III na yanzu gwargwadon yiwuwa. Amma hakan zai buƙaci sabbin kayan gini da sabbin kayan aiki don tabbatar da cewa Sentinel silos na iya ci gaba da aiki ta hanyar rushewa kamar katsewar wutar lantarki.

Tsofaffin kwamfutoci a cibiyoyin ƙaddamarwa - wasu daga cikinsu tashoshi na zamanin 1980 tare da koren fuska - za su sami sabuntawa tare da kayan aikin zamani.

Amma ba duka Minuteman III silos ne aka gina su a cikin tsari iri ɗaya ba, in ji jami'in Northrop, wanda zai ƙara dagula musu canjin.

Tare da kusan 400 Minuteman IIIs na ƙasar da aka bazu a kusan mil 32,000 a Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado da Nebraska, wanda ya sa shirin Sentinel ya zama babban aikin ƙasa, yana buƙatar gwamnati ta yi shawarwari da sauƙi kuma, a wasu lokuta, dukiya. sayayya tare da masu mallakar ƙasa da yawa.

Duk waɗannan sun haɗa da "ɗayan mafi girma, shirye-shirye masu rikitarwa da na taɓa gani," in ji Kendall game da Sentinel a watan Nuwamba 2023. "Wataƙila abu ne mafi girma, ta wasu hanyoyi, da Sojan Sama ya taɓa ɗauka. ”

Hakanan akwai wani abu a wasa: Me zai faru idan Sojojin Sama da Northrop Grumman sun yi zurfin zurfi a cikin silos Minuteman III da ke akwai kuma suka ga sun fi muni fiye da yadda ake tsammani?

Yanayin silos wani yanki ne mai hadarin gaske ga shirin, in ji jami'in Northrop, amma har yanzu shirin yana fatan samun damar sake amfani da wadanda suke da su. “Kisan” na LiDAR - ko gano haske da jeri - an riga an gudanar da sikanin shafukan ICBM na yanzu, in ji shi, kuma an yi bitar silos da aka soke a cikin 2000s.

Amma zurfi, gwaji mai lalacewa - "warkewa da kankare don ganin abin da ke bayan sa da kuma menene yanayin" - bai faru ba a kan silos ɗin da ke akwai, in ji jami'in, tunda dole ne su ci gaba da aiki.

Minuteman III silos suna da simintin siminti da kuma bututun harba injina da tsarin dakatar da makami mai linzami waɗanda ke riƙe da ICBM na yanzu. Jami'in ya ce, za a maye gurbin bututun da kuma na'urorin dakatarwa, kuma za a gudanar da bincike a kan simintin da ke karkashinsa don sanin ko ana bukatar gyara da abin da za a sake amfani da shi.

Gwamnati na da tsare-tsare na gaggawa idan harsashin ginin silos ya lalace ko kuma ya lalace, in ji jami'in. Wannan na iya haɗawa da aikin gyara kamar facin faci ko maye gurbin sassan siminti.

Idan wani wuri ya yi nisa don gyarawa, duk da haka, mai yiwuwa a yi hakowa don sabon silo.

"A halin yanzu babu wani shiri na tono sabbin ramuka," in ji jami'in. "Amma idan aka yi la'akari da yanayin ƙasar, tabbas akwai yuwuwar idan sun sami ƙarin binciken silos, za su iya gano cewa (sake amfani da su) wasu daga cikinsu bazai yiwu ba."

Ko da yake ana ci gaba da aikin bitar Nunn-McCurdy, jami'in Northrop ya ce kamfanin na tattaunawa da rundunar sojin sama kan hanyoyin da za a rage farashi. Wata ra'ayi da ake tattaunawa, in ji shi, na iya canza yadda ake gina ɗakunan injina don gina su ta hanyar da ta dace, wanda zai iya rage kashe kuɗi.

To amma komai wahala ko tsadar Sentinel, ko cinikin da ake yi don biyan sa, rundunar sojin sama ta dage cewa lallai ne hakan ta faru.

Laftanar Janar Richard Moore, mataimakin babban hafsan ma’aikatan na tsare-tsare da shirye-shirye, ya ce a bayyanar da aka yi a watan Janairu tare da Jones cewa tsawaita makami mai linzami na Minuteman III “ba zabi ne mai inganci ba.”

"Za mu nemo kuɗin," in ji Moore. "Za a ba da tallafi na Sentinel. Za mu yi sana'o'in don yin hakan ya faru."

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• Source: https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2024/03/28/northrop-says-air-force-design-changes-drove-higher-sentinel-icbm-cost/